Ventilated barrel



Nrrn STATES A'IENT Prion.

THOMAS L. LEE, OF PADUCAH, KENTT IOKY.

VENTlLAT ED BARREL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,335, dated December 18, 1883.

Application filed September 27, 1883. (No model.)

To ail whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS L. LEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paducah, in the county of McOracken and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ventilated Barrels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which a central vertical section of my improved barrel and former is shown in the figure.

My invention relates to improvements in ventilated barrels for carrying fruit and vegetables from place to place; and it consists in the peculiar construction of the barrel, as here inafter more fully set forth, and pointed out in the claim.

a I) represent the upper and lower heads of my improved ventilated barrel. These heads a b are of the common form used in ordinary barrels, and are united to the staves by grooves in the ends of the latter, in which the heads fit in the ordinary manner, an open space being leftbetween each two staves for ventilation.

c 0 represent end hoops passing around the barrel. Each head is provided with a central hole, cl, for a purpose hereinafter explained.

It represents one of the barrel-staves.

It represents a central circular partition extendingtransversely across the barrel, to which the staves are nailed, and secured on the outside of the staves by a central strap or hoop, m, of metal. The central partition, It, is preferably made of uniform thickness throughout, and is provided with a central hole, (2, smaller than the holes din the heads, for a purpose hereinafter explained. The central strap or hoop, m, passes around the barrel at its middle, and is secured by nails to the staves and central partition, is. There being spaced intervals for the passage of air between the staves, the decomposition of the vegetables or fruit is prevented materially. Y

It is designed to construct the staves and heads of my improved barrel by machinery, and they can readily be transported from place to place, being knocked down, occupying but little room, and can be formed into a ventilated barrel for the conveyance of fruit, when desired, by means .of a former particularly adapted to the setting up of my improved ventilated barrel, which I shall now proceed to describe.

. A represents the former, provided on its upper face with a circular recess, B, having its circumference O inclined or beveled inwardly and downwardly.

D is a vertlcal shaft secured to the center of the circular recess B, and provided near its upper end with a circular shoulder, E, and a shaft, F, forming a continuation of the shaft D, but of less diameter, as shown in the draw- 1ng. g

In setting up or forming a barrel the hole (I in the lower head of the barrel is placed over the upper end of the shaft D, and the lower head slides down on the bottom of the'circular recess in the former. The hole d in the central partition, 75, is then placed over the reduced-portion F of the shaft D. The central circular partition, k, rests on the shoulder E of the shaft D, which shoulder supports the partition in place. The staves are then arranged around the central partition, with a spaced opening between each two of the staves, and nailed to the central partition or inside central hoop, and the outside central metal hoop, m, is secured to the barrel at its middle. The upper head is put in place in the grooves in the staves, and one of the end hoops secured to the barrel at its upper end. The barrel is then reversed, and the other head and hoop applied.

In filling the barrels an extra hoop is used, which passes over the end hoop and a few inches belowsay in the position of a quarterhoop. The end hoop can then be removed and headtaken out, and'one half the barrel filled, the head and hoop replaced, and temporary hoop removed, the barrel reversed, and the other end filled in same manner.

In addition to the hammer and nails, a few loose quarter-hoops should be kept on hand, to use in filling barrels.

I am aware that a central partition has before been applied to a ventilated barrel, the circumferential outer edge of the partition being beveled on each side to fit in grooves in the staves, and I therefore lay no claim to such construction, in which the staves are weakened 10 vided with a central hole, d, central transverse partition, is, having a hole, d, of smaller diameter than the holes d, staves h, provided with end grooves, i, and nailed to the central partition 7c, and hoops 0 cm, substantially as shown and described.

THOMAS L. LEE.

\Vitnesses:

JNo. O. RoGERs, S. H. FINLEY. 

